Antonio Cánovas del Castillo

Born in Málaga in 1828, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo became one of the most influential Spanish politicians of his century. He was also a historian, and his writing and political work often went hand in hand.

Cánovas is best known for leading the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in 1874 and for helping design the political order that followed. He served several times as prime minister and played a major role in the creation of Spain’s 1876 constitution, which shaped the Restoration era for decades.

His career made him a dominant force in Spanish politics in the second half of the nineteenth century. He died in 1897 at Santa Águeda in Guipúzcoa after being assassinated, ending the life of a statesman whose influence on modern Spain was profound.